Herein lies the problem with Sam Cassell - Jack Black could take him off the dribble. I was gonna say Prince, but as we learned from both Charlie Murphy and again last week, That Symbol can ball. The T-Wolves, who are inexplicably carrying Troy Hudson on their roster, should invite the Minny native to training camp next summer.

I was surprised that Dunleavy gave the Steve Nash assignment in that Phoenix debacle a couple of weeks ago to Cassell. In actuality, it looked like the Clippers were employing a matchup zone, but against a team with Phoenix's speed, who are you trying to kid? I realize that San Antonio and Phoenix run decidedly different offenses, but given Q's success locking up Parker, why wouldn't Dunleavy have given him a shot at Nash? I guess that's what Bill Simmons means when he writes that he's waiting for someone to rip off the Dunleavy mask and unveil the face of Doc Rivers. Instead, we were down 24-4 to the Suns before Dunleavey was able to switch out and we had to listen to Tom Tolbert riff for two hours.

The good news for the Clippers is that the Spurs don't space the floor like the Suns do, and we'll have an easier time hiding Cassell tonight on the defensive end. I'd be tempted to give up the five inches to Bowen and let Cassell guard him on the perimeter and let Maggette pester Mano. If Bowen decides to post him up, there's weak side help. And if Bowen decides to shoot 21-footers over Sam and is able to drain them? Go to the pen and bring in Shaun Livingston.

How much fun is it going to be when Shaun matures into a starting point guard? How much cool shit will we be able to do on the defensive end with three guys at the 1,2 and 3 who can all guard 1s. 2s and 3s?

To answer your question on Kat: I like him; I think he plays adequate-to-above-average defense for a 2, performs a lot of the proverbial little stuff. Is he a + on the floor? Definitely so. But I have to confess -- a little smile crept across my face when they announced the Cassell/Ross/Maggette/Brand/Kaman starting lineup Saturday afternoon for the Washington game. When it comes to Mobley's role on the Clips, it's really a question of, "Which 2? Ross, Maggette or Mobley?"

And you won't have to read this blog long before you'll glean my biases.

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I just read a really funny book called “Foul Lines,” by SI hoops writers Jack McCallum and Jon Wertheimer, and I thought my fellow Clips fans would enjoy it. It’s a great satire of the NBA today, with the names changed to protect identities (but it’s very easy to figure out who is who). It takes place in LA (the team is called the "Lasers"), so there's some funny LA-related stuff too, with the wild drivers and the pretentious trendy clubs. Everyone gets mocked, from rich owners in the mold of Mark Cuban and the Maloofs to the flamboyant GMs to players like Jason Williams, LeBron, A.C. Green, Doug Christie and others. Wertheim and McCallum also have some funny scenes spoofing David Stern’s obsession with globalization, Stuart Scott’s fake-gangsta persona, and Master P’s attempts to cut it in the NBA. It’s a quick read with an enjoyable plot and solid characters. Here’s the amazon link with some reviews if you want to check it out:http://www.amazon.com/gp/pr...

This is nothing new, Cassell has been a one end of the floor player for some time now. Still, he was a big upgrade for the Clips from last year, where there was little production from the point at either end of the floor. That said, at his age Cassell is a short term answer, and either Livingston is the long-term one or another point needs to come in the door.

just read a really funny book called “Foul Lines,” by SI hoops writers Jack McCallum and Jon Wertheimer, and I thought my fellow Clips fans would enjoy it. It’s a great satire of the NBA today, with the names changed to protect identities (but it’s very easy to figure out who is who). It takes place in LA (the team is called the "Lasers"), so there's some funny LA-related stuff too, with the wild drivers and the pretentious trendy clubs. Everyone gets mocked, from rich owners in the mold of